Rider and Marist Named 2019-20 MAAC Women’s Basketball Co-Regular Season Champions
Rider and Marist Named 2019-20 MAAC Women’s Basketball Co-Regular Season Champions
Edison, N.J. (March 7, 2019) – Rider University and Marist College both claimed a share of the 2019-20 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Regular Season Championship with wins today over Monmouth University and Siena College, respectively. The title marks the first ever for the Broncs and the 12
th for the Red Foxes, their first since 2012-13.
Rider (25-4, 18-2 MAAC) will enter the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship as the top seed, Marist (25-4, 18-2) will enter as the No. 2 seed. The two Co-Regular Season Champions split their head to head matchups earlier in the year, but a Marist loss to Fairfield University (15-14, 12-8) on Jan. 30 gives the seeding advantage to the Broncs, per the MAAC tiebreaker policy.
Both teams were able to grab wins against the other while on the road. The Broncs captured an overtime thriller against the Red Foxes 76-72 on Jan. 16. while at McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie. Marist responded with a 63-58 victory in Lawrenceville on Feb. 11 in a game where the Broncs cut a 19-point Marist lead to only two with 1:41 left on the clock.
The championship will mark the first time the Broncs enter MAAC postseason play as the top seed. The Broncs secured a share of the regular season title today with a dazzling buzzer-beating inbound pass from Lexi Stover to Amari Johnson, who finished the layup to lift the team over the Hawks. The Broncs will look for the team’s first MAAC Championship, making the big game only once in team history back in 2017. Stella Johnson finished the regular season atop the NCAA scoring rankings, averaging 24.4 points per contest. The stellar senior also finished her final season in Lawrenceville leading the MAAC in steals with 2.9 a game.
The Red Foxes will look for the team’s MAAC-leading 11
th championship and the team’s first since 2014. Marist has been led by a trio of seniors in Rebekah Hand, Alana Gilmer, and Grace Vander Weide. Hand and Gilmer sit 2-3 in the MAAC in scoring, respectively, while Vander Weide leads the league in assists.
The 2020 Hercules Tire MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will take place from March 10-14 in the event’s inaugural year at Atlantic City’s Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. Tickets can be purchased by visiting
ticketmaster.com or by visiting
maacsports.com/basketball. To keep up with the postseason action, follow @MAACHoops on Twitter and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #maAChoops20.
About Atlantic City Sports Commission:
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About the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority:
The only agency of its kind nationwide, the CRDA has used Atlantic City casino reinvestments as a catalyst for meaningful, positive improvement in the lives of New Jersey residents since 1984. Under the 2011 Tourism District Act, the Authority's mission evolved from statewide projects to becoming the state's key economic development agency for Atlantic City. CRDA's expanded responsibilities now include land use regulation, tourism marketing and clean and safe initiatives. The CRDA also oversees Historic Boardwalk Hall (the leading entertainment venue of its size in the country) and the Atlantic City Convention Center. In total, CRDA has invested nearly $2 billion in more than 400 projects statewide, of which $1.8 billion has been invested in Atlantic City, spurring business investments and expansions, and creating permanent jobs in the process. For more information about CRDA and our projects, visit www.njcrda.com. Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/njcrda and Twitter at www.twitter.com/njcrda.
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About the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships:
The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships return to New Jersey on March 10-14, 2020 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. To stay up to date on MAAC basketball, visit
http://maacsports.com/basketball and follow
@MAACHoops on Twitter.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 39
th year of competition during the 2019-20 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.